MLP: Distant Harmony
by StormBreaker30
Summary: When a video game becomes a little too real Mike finds himself transported the land of Equestria and things will never be the same.
1. Played a Game like the Name

Where am I? Hmmmm...no idea, I haven't seen a single soul since I got here wherever "here" is. Im only writing this down to give my mind something to focus on. Its been a full day since I woke up in a forest with only my clothes I was wearing and the stuff in my pockets. Also I guess I should clarify, im not "writing" per se. Im using the dictation app on my phone, not because its easier, its just nice to hear something besides the trees creaking as they move in the wind. I have no food and the only water I could find was a small stream a few miles back.

Im also lost...did I mention that? I am definitely lost. Its annoying as Im usually good with directions. I can only assume that im in another country or maybe an isolated island. My phone has no service, the compass app just spins and the stars I saw last night made no sense. One small bit of good news is that the solar charge case that everyone said was a waste of money is doing a good job of keeping my battery charged. I was able to use some thin vines to tie it onto my shoulder with the panel facing up. I don't have to worry about dropping it and I can leave the dictation app running. Neat.

I may not know where I am but I at least have some idea of how I got here even if it doesn't make much sense. My day started normally enough. I got off work in the afternoon from my job as a hotel desk clerk, a brisk spring in my step. Today was going to be a good day. How could it not be? This evening I was going to a very special event that I had been looking forward to for some time now.

It was the finals in a video game tournament for MLP: Them's Fightin' Herds. It's a video game whose progress I've been following closely for some time. They had a bunch of legal trouble when they first started due to a copyright but now that it's been sorted out the game can be mass-produced.

I turned down a familiar street and it wasn't long before I saw the red and black styled logo on my favorite gaming shop. The shape of the logo was meant to evoke a very familiar comic book character; one with a penchant for katanas and rather foul language. I found my usual spot empty despite the packed parking lot and took this as a good omen. I parked and then grabbed the small duffel bag that was sitting in the passenger seat.

I made sure before going to work that morning that I had my gear, after all, how would I play without it? As I locked up my car I took a deep breath of the cool Autumn air and steadied my nerves. One last check of my gear and I was ready to go. A comfy pair of headphones, my lucky controller and my entry badge we're all present and accounted for.

I confidently stepped into the shop, hearing the familiar jingle of the store bell above the door. "Hey Mike!" A voice called out off to my left. I turned to see Gage the shop's owner wrapping up a transaction with a customer before coming over. "You ready for the tournament?" he nodded in the direction of the back room where the game consoles were set up on a big screen TV. "As ready as I'll ever be" I said enthusiastically as I made my way to the back room.

My opponent was already there, seated and ready to go. Her name was Alexis or Lex for short as she preferred to be called. Her normally long flowing red hair was restrained by a brand new Turtle Beach headset and I saw she was also holding a very sleek-looking controller, no doubt also new.

I smirked before addressing her, "Looks like someone splurged. Trying to spend the winnings before you even have them?" I sighed still not understanding her obsession with always having to have the newest of everything. She let out a sarcastic chuckle. "We'll look at it this way if I do lose, which is highly unlikely, at least I won't be able to blame it on my equipment... unlike someone I know."

She gave me a sidelong glance causing me to blush in annoyance. "I wasn't blaming anyone I merely stated the fact that one of the buttons on my controller froze up and caused me to lose that round. Although it didn't make much difference as I was already ahead 2 to 1, besides who likes to win on a technicality?"

She remain silent at my retort. I began to set up my gear, glancing at her controller despite myself. It wasn't a model I was familiar with and a lack of logos led me to believe that was a custom design. I smiled as I noticed something most others probably would have missed. At the very edge of the left hand side of the controller, normally hidden by how you hold an Xbox One controller, was a tiny but unmistakable Rarity cutie mark sticker. It was the same sticker, the same spot even that it had been on her previous one. Apparently she's not as strict about her all new policy as she would like everyone to believe.

A smug grin spread across my face as I looked at my own gear. A blue headset, the paint chipped and fading along with a clear blue Rock Candy controller with worn buttons from overuse. I settled the headphones snugly over my ears and picked up my controller, the familiarity of them was relaxing, like a comfy pair of jeans.

The lights in the room flicked off as Gage came around and powered on the console. We readied our controllers as the familiar logo of the game scrolled across the screen. We selected our characters and waited for the match to begin. As I stated before the legal disputes regarding the game had been settled so the roster had been extended for this version.

I selected my favorite character Twilight Sparkle and Lex went with her go-too Paprika. We tensed for a moment before the announcer yelled "Stampede!" I have to say despite our rivalry I do admire Lex's skills. Halfway through round one I had only managed to whittle her health down to half while mine was barely a third. She skillfully pulled off Cartwheel after Cartwheel, backing me into a corner... Or so she thought. After being on the receiving end of yet another combo I switched up my style and started blocking as much as possible. Confused about my sudden defensive manner she glanced at me before she noticed the power meter on my side of the screen filling up far more rapidly than hers. Her confident expression sank as she realized I was about to pull off one of the most powerful moves in the game.

The developers were very fair about how they balanced the powers of the various characters. Twilight being an alicorn princess was extremely powerful but her attacks took excruciatingly long to charge. Alexa had gotten so caught up in her combo streak that she had forgotten. On the screen Paprika leapt backwards attempting to dodge what was coming. Too little, too late. I pressed the appropriate button combination to have Twilight leap to match Paprika's current altitude. Before Lex could react a purple glow surrounded Twilight's horn as a bright beam of energy shot across the screen.

In an instant her health bar plummeted from half full to zero. "No no no noooo!" Lex shouted. "Dammit!! I didn't even see that coming!' She crossed her arms and sent me an angry glare to which I simply shrugged. This was only round one so she still had a chance to come back. After a moment she composed herself and readied for the next round. Instead of Paprika she chose Arizona this time. [Interesting, she's not choosing her favorite. Huh.] I thought a moment and decided [why not? I'll switch up my character too.] I highlighted the icon for Rarity and waited for the round to start. The match went downhill pretty quickly with Lex powering up Arizona's meter within a few moves.

After pulling off an EX Stomp and a few lassos, she charges up for a level 2 Trample. [Oh crap!] I block and try to maneuver out of the way to minimize damage, but it's no use. I'm left with only a sliver of health while she still has a good fourth of hers. I realize I've only got one shot to win. Arizona may be a good close combat brawler, but her mid too long range sucks. I get Lex to back off with several Petite Strikes unlocking a level two of my own. "Diamond Storm!" the game shouts before a barrage of gemstones rain from the sky around Arizona... as she dodges the attack area. [Really!?]. Lex has Arizona rush in for a Headbuck to finish me off, but fails to notice the smirk on my face.

Looking confused for a moment she sees me enter a very complex button combination, a combination unique to only three characters in the game. "Counter!" The game shouts. Lex's fingers freeze on her controller as she sees a small heart-shaped gemstone appear in front of Rarity. An instant later Spike in his greed form appears behind rarity, lashing out at Arizona with a huge clawed hand, dropping her health to zero. I let out the breath that I hadn't realized I was holding and set my controller down before turning to look at Lex. instead of more glaring surprisingly she smiled at me. "Good game"she said and extended her hand toward me.

A bit surprised, I hesitated before accepting and shaking it. "You too. For a second there I thought you had me." Her smile drooped a bit as the lights turned on. "Congratulations Mike!" Gage announced as he walked over to the front of the table with the championship trophy in hand. He set it down in front of me and it was spectacular. A gold-plated trophy with four pillars supporting a display at the top with a Power Ranger-esqe tribal coin featuring all the characters in the game.

Gage cleared his throat a few times before he was able to peel my attention away from the trophy. "In addition to the trophy and a gift certificate for the store there is another prize... one that was to be kept secret until the winner was announced." Lex and I shared a look as our eyebrows raised. [What could the secret prize be?] "The prize ... To be mailed to the winner in one week...is... Them's Fightin Herds X2Virtual!! A first-person virtual port for the Oculus Rift."

I didn't even have a chance to respond before my headset was pushed back in such a way that the top was now resting on the back of my neck and then being jerked forwards. I found myself eye to eye with Lex, who had and almost feral expression curling her lips. "You, me, one week, rematch!" She growled at me. "Ok sure, no problem" I managed as I pulled away, fearing she might bite me. We gathered our stuff and headed out.

That was last week, to the day. Today at 2 o clock a delivery notification popped up on my phone. I had been purposely staying home on the pretext of doing chores in order to be here when the game was delivered. I opened the front door and checked the mailbox, finding a thick manila envelope waiting for me.

I brought the package inside and opened it quickly but carefully. Sliding the jewel case out I gasped in awe at the cover art. It depicted all the main characters with two new ones being hidden in shadow. [Too cool. New cover art and new characters. This keeps getting better and better!]

I rushed to get the game setup and put the Oculus rift on over my glasses and waited. The startup screen came on with a load icon marking its progress. After a moment I see Twilight rushing down a path toward her castle with a scroll clenched in her teeth and Spike clinging to her back for dear life. The image widens and it shows that she's being pursued by several Timberwolves.

A quick Time event pops up for her to activate her shield spell as one of the Timberwolves lunges at her. [Piece of cake!] I hit the control and her shield flares to life causing the timberwolf to bounce off and into the distance [Interesting animation].

As she nears the castle another prompt appears: Head to Castle or Head to Town, with the town option showing a small path leading off to the right. I select Castle and she races up to the doors, casting a quick spell to open them. As the doors close, in the distance, I see a shadowy figure standing at the edge of the Everfree Forest. Unsettlingly, a large form rises up behind them... it towers over the forest. It's coloration is very strange, most of its body is a royal purple however the color fades toward the center of its body. It almost looks like someone forgot to adjust the saturation on that layer. It has huge claws, tusks and a bright blue star on its forehead...an Ursa Major. The figure points toward the castle, their horn glowing as the Ursa Major begins to move forward.

The Castle doors slam shut and the camera pans to follow twilight entering the Cutie Map room. Spike hops off her back as she approaches the map. She lays out the scroll that she was carrying and begins to cast a spell. it doesn't appear to be a spell that im familiar with even though I've seen the show numerous times. I squint and strain, trying to make out the characters on the screen. Just as im about to give up and move on in the game I realize the image is getting larger.

My face is getting closer to the screen, my nose pushing against the inner support. I fumble a bit with the straps of the Rift, thinking they might have tightened by accident. No luck. Soon my glasses are pressed right up against the screen and I wince, expecting an eyefull of glass. A moment goes by and then another. I don't feel my face being smushed into the Rift anymore so I risk a glance. I see what appears to be a peaceful forest.

Breathing a sigh of relief I reach up to flick the the switch on the Rift to off...and my hand brushes by my ear instead. [What?!] My fingers frantically race around my head trying in vain to find the Rift before reaching my glasses. Out of habit more than anything I take them off and clean them, my rattled mind somehow thinking that might help. I close my eyes and take a breath to calm down. [Ok...STOP! Your not going crazy...i hope] with my eyes closed I realized my other senses are picking up things that they shouldn't be. I can feel a breeze on my face and can detect the faint smells of the outdoors.

Opening my eyes again I take in my surroundings. I appear to be in a small clearing surrounded by trees on all sides. The sky looks overcast and the air feels heavy, like it's about to rain. I feel around my head one more time, being more careful than before. [Ok... the Rift is definitely gone, but how? How did I get outside? Am I hallucinating or is this some sort of special effect of the new game?] As I'm trying to sort things out I hear a soft growl behind me. I freeze, not wanting to provoke whatever creature might be there.

I slowly turn and come face-to-face with something that shouldn't be possible. It has glowing green eyes, sharp teeth made of rocks and a body made from branches and vines. It's a Timberwolf. "This isn't possible!" I shout, causing the timberwolf to tilt its head before growling again and taking a step forward. "You can't be real!" It takes another step, gnashing it's teeth.


	2. A Human in Equestria

I stumbled backward against a large tree, accidentally boxing myself in. The Timber Wolf takes another step forward and it's close enough now that I can smell its putrid breath. A combination of rotten plants and earty mud that makes my eyes water and my stomach churn. I see a decent size stick lying nearby as the timber wolf readies to lunge.

As it leaps I duck and roll out of the way, grabbing the branch as I go. No longer backed into a corner I make a few half-hearted swings at the creature while slowly inching away. "nice doggy, good doggy...you...you don't wanna eat me..." My brow knits in confusion. "Can you even eat me? You don't have a stomach. Your a literal walking pile of twigs and rocks!" My voice takes on an accusing tone as it begins to rise in volume. With the fear I felt only a moment before seemingly forgotten I take a step forward and whack the creature across the snout with the stick.

...That may have been a mistake. The Timber Wolf lets out a gravely howl and soon I see movement out of the corner of my eye. Two more wolves have appeared, one on each side. [Well...I'm boned! It was a nice... short...life.] I realize there's no way I could take three on one and close my eyes and wait for the end... and wait...[Hmmmmm...] Instead of the sound of my bones crunching I hear something that I did not expect... a giggle. I slowly open one eye. There's something standing between me and the nearest Wolf.

It appears to be...[What?! First a Timberwolf and now...] a pony. I don't mean the normal Earth variety. This creature bears only a passing similarity and even that is stretching it. Firstly the height... it's definitely shorter than a regular pony, only about 2 and 1/2 ft. The general shape is softer and rounder and the coloration is usually of the bright Technicolor variety.

Unlike traditional equines the hooves are usually not visible, the fetlocks (a tuft of fur that usually only covers the top of the hoof) being long enough to blend seamlessly in with the bottom of the hoof. The mane and tail appear to be styled and more like a humans then a regular equine, in this case being a light blonde color in stark contrast to it's almost ash gray body. There's usually some sort of Mark or brand located on their flank, on both sides [Excepting production errors. Thanks Hasbro] indicating that the pony in question has discovered their special talent in life, referred to as a cutie mark.

The filly in question sports a magnifying glass [Interesting]. All of these things together would be considered extremely strange to the average individual encountering one of these creatures, but it gets better [Not really]. As my brain struggles to accept the existence of not one but two previously fictional creatures I realized that something else is very... very wrong.

The pony in question... is transparent... I can see straight through it to the equally confused looking Timberwolf on the other side. This thing...which I'm sincerely hoping is a hallucination brought on by the stress of imminent death... turns to look at me... and giggles again. I lose all train of thought... because... her eyes... are glowing.

The filly stares at me with those searchlight-orange eyes and smiles. "Don't worry. I got this." I nod numbly... not quite hearing her. She turns back to the first Timberwolf and a bright glow begins to emanate from her cutie mark. Her body starts to grow even more faint and dissipates until all that's left is a glowing orb. It flashes a few times, bobbing up and down before zipping straight toward the first wolf. The creature shrieks in surprise as the orb goes straight into its chest.

It looks down as we all watch this orb seemingly bouncing around inside it's body. Either due to discomfort or just being as thoroughly freaked out as I am... it turns and takes off running, the other two following close behind. After a moment or two the orb sans wolves floats back out of the forest, towards me. The orb pulses a few times before turning back into the grey and blond filly.

"Hello there." The filly smiles cheerfully. "Haven't seen a human around here in a while. Are you lost?" Despite being a clear indication that I've lost my mind she seems sincere in her concern. "Well..." I look around at the still very unfamiliar Forest. "I'm definitely lost... and possibly crazy...no... definitely crazy. Very lost and very crazy." The filly tilts her head before giggling yet again. "You don't seem crazy to me."

"Says the hallucination." I retort. Her smile droops if confusion as she slowly blinks. "you think I'm a...hal...hallu..." I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose. "A hallucination, yes." Her smile disappears completely and she begins to sob. [Oh no... no no no]. Even if I am losing it that's no reason to make a child cry. "Hey now... don't cry... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude." I reach out to try to console her... and my hand passes right through her head. "Uhhh..."

Her her crying slows. "Yo...you can't...tu..touch a ghost." I stared dumbly at her. "A ghost?" My brain finally connected the pieces before i smacked myself in the forehead. "Ok... I'm not crazy. I'm just an idiot. I'm so sorry. Wait...If you're a ghost then that means..." I'm pretty sure that time my eyes crossed trying to make sense of everything... and I may have passed out because the next thing I know I'm laying on the ground looking up at two very concerned glowing orange eyes. "Are you okay mister?" I sat up and shook my head a few times. "I think so. It's just been a very confusing couple of days."

"I think my brain just finally gave up on trying to make sense of everything." She giggled again. "Your funny. You've never seen a ghost before?" I shook my head. "Nope. You'd be the first." She nodded in understanding as she touched her chest with a hoof. "Well my names Ruby. Whats yours?" "Mike. Nice to meet you." I answer as I stand up and brush the dirt off of me. "You said you've seen other humans? Can you point me in the right direction?" Her smile thins. "I haven't seen another human in so long, I wouldn't have a clue." My hopes sank a bit at those words. [Great. She saved me from those... things, unfortunately I'm still lost. "How long have you been...uh...like this?"

"Its been about a thousand years or so give or take. I stopped really keeping track after the first 500." My right eye twitched slightly. "1000 years...wow..um... must have been pretty boring?" I shook my head. [What a lame question to ask.] "No, not really. I help out people that are lost and... keep other things from causing trouble." She said nervously. "Like those wolves?" I asked. "Yep, and... other stuff." Her voice trailing off.

"Those things look a lot less intimidating through a screen." I glanced around the forest, making sure the Timberwolves were really gone. I noticed her confused look when her expression suddenly brightened. "Oh...wait. I did find something strange not too long ago. It might have been made by humans. I can show you!" She said excitedly. Ruby trotted off a few feet before looking back at me. "You coming?" Running a hand through my hair, "I guess so. Nothing better to do."

I followed her to the forest for a few hours. As we walked I noted differences in animals that we saw. Back home most animals are skittish and at the first sign of people they run and hide, but here they were mostly just curious. Watching us as we went by. at one point a few small birds fluttered past and one even landed on my shoulder momentarily. [They seem almost tame.] As we rounded another patch of brush we came upon a very overgrown trail. "We're almost there!" Ruby sqeed in excitement, her steps taking on a noticeable bounce. Another few minutes go by and the trail turns into a cracked paved road.

Crouching down I pick up a small fragment. It's very similar to the asphalt that they use for roads, but it shines more in the light like there's glass or Crystal mixed in with it. Standing back up I brush the dust off my hands and continue following Ruby. We finally stopped in front of what appears to be a small cave. At least it used to be a cave. The cave mouth has been cut back and replaced with a stone archway and a heavily reinforced steel door. Here and there I can make out chipped and faded caution symbols and what appears to be a busted keypad next to the door. [A keypad? That means electricity and electricity means civilization.] I fiddled with the keypad for a bit, the cover coming off easily with age.

As I moved some of the wires a small spark cause me to flinch backwards. I turned to Ruby. "At least that means it still has power. That's a good sign... right?" She shrugged. "I dunno. Haven't tried to go in there yet. I can look to see if it's safe?" My eyebrows knitted in confusion as I continued trying to rewire the keypad. "Well seeing as how I don't have it open yet how can you...wait .. nevermind. I forgot...ghost." She nodded and started moving towards the door... and stopped. A confused look crossed her face and she tried again this time looking as though she was trying to push her way into it. Nothing. "That doesn't make any sense. I should be able to pass through this with no problem."

She backed up several feet before taking off at a gallop... before bouncing off the door and tumbling backwards. "Ruby!" I shouted and rushed over to her, reaching out to pick her up... and my hands went right through her. [Ghost...right.] "Ruby! Are you ok?" She looked up at me and her eyes seemed to flicker a bit. [Ghost headache?] "I.. I'm ok...I think. Thats weird." She slowly climbed to her feet before glancing back at the door. "That's never happened before." I frowned as I remembered a certain movie. "I think I might know why you can't go through that. It's probably made of an anti-magic metal like iron [Like in the movie Leprechaun]. I guess it works on ghosts too."

Sitting down on her haunches she crossed her forelegs in front of her in annoyance. "Now what?" I glanced back at the keypad. "I think I've got it. Just need to adjust one more wire." I go back over and twist together two more wires, prompting another spark. I stepped back and look at the door expectantly. Nothing. No movement. I scowl at the keypad and start to move towards it again as we hear a deep, grinding noise. It reverberates through the ground before turning into a high-pitched squeal. I quickly cover my ears but not before hearing Ruby complain, "Even though I don't technically have ears that's still really loud!"

The gear shaped door begins to move inward before being rolled to the left by some sort of mechanism.


End file.
